Anna Skaya built Basepaws from “23andMe for cats” into a pet genetics company that ultimately sold to Zoetis in a nearly nine-figure exit.

But the path there was anything but straightforward. Anna was rejected by YC four times, initially turned down by Shark Tank, struggled to raise venture capital, navigated a painful co-founder split, and spent years hearing that her cat DNA company would never work.

In this episode, Anna shares how she turned that rejection into fuel, what she learned from Kevin O’Leary and Shark Tank, why founders should start building relationships with potential acquirers years before an exit, and what life after selling a company actually feels like.

Now a General Partner at Ani.VC, Anna also shares what she’s seeing next in pet tech and why she believes Miami could become a global hub for the industry.

Alex Wilson has already built and exited one crypto startup. Now he's doing it again.

After co-founding The Giving Block and selling it to Shift4 in 2021, Alex spent four years leading crypto at the payments company before leaving to launch Miami-based Cyclops.

Less than a year in, Cyclops has raised $28 million and grown to more than 30 employees, with a mission to change how money moves around the world.

In this episode, Alex shares what he's doing differently as a second-time founder, why investors were lining up to back Cyclops, what he learned from Shift4 founder Jared Isaacman, and why he believes Miami is one of the best places to build a company.

What does it actually take to win in venture capital?

Harlem Capital co-founder and Managing Partner Henri Pierre-Jacques joins Maria to unpack a decade of lessons. They talk about how to identify exceptional founders, why the best VC deals take years to build, the growing importance of an investor’s personal brand, and why founders should reference-check their VCs.

Henri also shares Harlem Capital’s approach to investment decisions, what it takes to make partner, how AI has changed the way he reflects and creates, and why he believes “winners want to be around winners.”